Community Calendar

Jessie Fowler, of Vandalia, was crowned the 2015 Missouri Beef Queen on January 3 at the 47th Missouri Cattle Industry Convention & Trade Show at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Lake of the Ozarks.
Fowler will receive a $1,000 scholarship as the winner. She is the daughter of Bruce and Martha Fowler. She represented the Ralls County Cattlemen’s Association in the contest.
Winning first runner-up and a $500 scholarship was Molly Bertz, of Mayview. She is the daughter of Harold and Melissa Bertz. She represented the Lafayette County Cattlemen’s Association.
The second runner-up and winner of a $250 scholarship was Maria Washburn of King City. She is the daughter of Tony & Jocelyn Washburn. She represented the Gentry County Cattlemen’s Association.
Twelve young ladies from across Missouri competed in the 2015 Missouri Beef Queen Contest. In addition to Fowler, Bertz, and Washburn, other contestants included Miranda Goetz, of Cole Camp, representing Benton County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen and daughter of Dennis and Kim Goetz; Jessica Poisal, of Harrisonville, representing Cass-Jackson County Cattlemen and daughter of Bob Poisal and Cindy Tomasic; Laura Bardot, of Londell, representing Franklin County Cattlemen and daughter of Roger and Wendy Bardot; Jera Pipkin, of Republic, representing Greene County Cattlemen and daughter of Jim and Joann Pipkin; Cassie Shultz, of Waynesville, representing Mizzou Collegiate Cattlewomen and daughter of Terry and Sonya Shultz; Ashley Bailey, of Mount Vernon, representing Missouri State University Cattlemen and daughter of Gregg and Sandy Bailey; Morgann Gregory, of Houstonia, representing Pettis County Cattlemen and daughter of Kevin and Barbara Gregory; Julie Choate, of Pleasant Hope, representing Polk County Cattlemen and daughter of Mike and Cathy Choate; Marie McSparen, of Moberly, representing Randolph County Cattlemen and daughter of Marla Stegall.
The contest was hosted on January 2 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, where the contestants presented speeches and interviewed with a panel of three judges. Judges scored the contestants on knowledge of beef, presentation, appearance, personality, and their entry application.
The title of Missouri Beef Queen has, for many years, been a sought-after title for many young ladies involved in the beef industry. In 1980, the first Beef Belle was crowned, and although the name of the title has changed to the Missouri Beef Queen, the tradition of having an ambassador for Missouri’s beef industry at the many livestock shows, conferences, seminars and activities across the state remains the same.
Missouri CattleWomen (MCW), in cooperation with the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA), and the Missouri’s Cattlemen Foundation (MCF), sponsors the contest.
The scholarships are provided by the MCW, MCA and MCF. Other sponsors for the contest included Carolyn Dieckman, Mary Kay Beauty Consultant, Cole Camp; and the Missouri Beef Industry Council.
The Missouri CattleWomen is an auxiliary of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. It sponsors a variety of programs and activities that focus primarily on the areas of beef promotion and consumer and youth education.

The Lighthouse Ministries Dinner and Movie Night will be 6 p.m. on January 2 at Pike County Christian School, 203 East Maple, Curryville. The movie will be “War Room.”
There will be door prizes and everyone is welcome.

The Audrain County Farm Bureau will host their 19th Annual Legislative Appreciation Banquet on Friday, January 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, Highway 15, in Mexico. The social starts at 6 p.m. with the dinner at 6:30 p.m. being served by the Knights of Columbus. Those invited for this year’s event include U.S. Congressmen Sam Graves and Vicki Hartzler, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, State Senator Jeanie Riddle, State Representative Jay Houghton, County Commissioners Steve Hobbs, Tom Groves, and Roger Young, and other County Officials. Please call Shirley at 573-581-3881 by January 5 for reservations.

The Vandalia Neighborhood Watch Group will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 in the meeting room of the Vandalia Road District along Audrain Road 565.
All residents living south and west of Vandalia are invited to attend the meeting.

A recent New Year’s Eve Celebration in Cologne, Germany should cause many American citizens to be concerned on what an infiltration of refugees could mean to the United States.
Multiple reports noted a crowd of about 1,000 migrants celebrated a New Year at a train station and German women were assaulted in the chaos. One lady reported to a German newspaper that she thought she was touched inappropriately about 100 times in just 200 meters.
There were “hundreds of women” who were molested and raped, this according to News.com.au. Recorded crimes have already reached more than 500 with 40% being a sexual assault.
Of the 31 men arrested, 18 of them were confirmed as refugees. Three have been confirmed to be Syrian refugees as of four days ago.
The Cologne, Germany Chief of Police, Wolfgang Alberts, said the crimes were committed by a group of people who mostly came from North African and Arab countries.
Along with the attacks were several brawls between migrant gangs.
In regards to the sexual crimes, instead of addressing the larger issue involving refugees and the crimes they are committing, Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker said perhaps the women should adopt a so-called “code of conduct” to help them avoid being victims of sexual crimes. The code suggested young women and girls to “maintain an arm’s length distance from strangers,” “to stick within your own group,” “to ask bystanders for help,” or “to intervene as a witness or to inform the police if you are a victim of such an assault.”
Local schools asked girls to make sure they were modest in their clothing.
The code, Mayor Reker said, would be updated online.
This course of action comes from a lady who was stabbed in the neck last October by man who was against the refugee crisis. This code is being suggested to a free country. I say such a code makes me wonder if the women living there are actually free?
While the Cologne, Germany situation is appalling, we’re now finding out this was not an isolated incident. Reports are coming in on stories published in Austria, Finland, and Switzerland as there were also several similar attacks by refugees.
While Europe is being overwhelmed by refugees, in whom many are, in my opinion, playing their role in the caliphate, President Barack Obama made a special point to have two Syrian refugees present for his final State of the Union Address.
I hope that soon our government officials will stop trying to shove idealogy down our throats and instead truly work to protect America from the same type of situation to happen on our soil.
It’s not that far away. Germany’s Prime Minister was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for her willingness to fight criticism and open her country’s doors to countless refugees.
As Dr. Phil would say “how’s that working for ya?” Our problem is we have leaders, in the U.S. on both sides of the political spectrum and throughout the world, who care more about their legacies then truly making sound decisions to protect our country.

The Community R-VI Lady Trojans basketball team after taking second in the Madison Tournament.

Madison Tournament girls basketball coaches were eager to see a hyped clash between two teams who won district titles and 20+ games a year ago when the Community R-VI Lady Trojans took on Cairo in the championship game. Cairo entered the game as the No. 7 team in Class 2 and battled an eight win Lady Trojans team.
Though Community R-VI rallied in the third quarter, they couldn’t complete a comeback in a 59-52 loss.
The Lady Trojans were in foul trouble throughout as Cairo took 33 free throw shots. In spite of the challenge, the Lady Trojans cut the lead to one with four minutes left in the fourth. Unfortunately, Cairo went to the free throw line on three straight possessions and extended the lead to kill Community R-VI’s momentum.
Earlier in the game, Cairo was up by double-digits and led 30-18 at halftime before the Lady Trojans outscored them 13-6 in the third, though it wasn’t enough.
“I was very proud of my girls as they were down 12 at the half and never quit grinding it out making the Lady Bearcats earn it,” said Community R-VI head coach Bob Curtis.
Danielle Brooks led the Lady Trojans in the title game with 18 points and four assists. She also made 9-of-14 free throws.
“I thought she did an excellent job handling the Bearcat pressure all night,” Bob Curtis added. “Her senior leadership was excellent tonight.”
Alissa Curtis added 12 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. For the tournament, Curtis had 39 points in three games with 29 rebounds.
“Alissa had a great tournament…,” Bob Curtis said.
Samm Jett added six points, three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal; Rebecca Hagan had six points; Taren Clark added five points, two rebounds, and one steal; Danie Jackson added three points, three rebounds, and one block; and Chelsea Hoyt tallied two points, two rebounds, and one steal.
In the second round, the Lady Trojans led 28-19 at halftime over Paris before holding on late for a 45-39 win over a Lady Coyotes team that won 22 games a year ago and that was returning every player. Bob Curtis’ team used a committee to defend Paris standout Drew Lockhart and held her to just 13 points.
Jett and Alissa Curtis each had 10 points in the first half as they both finished with 14 points. Alissa Curtis also had eight rebounds.
“I thought we did a nice job against their press getting some easy buckets and not turning the ball over in the first half,” Bob Curtis said.
Hoyt added five points; Brooks had five points and four assists; Hagan had five points; and Jackson had two points. The team made 12-of-19 free throws in the win.
In the first round, the Lady Trojans got off to a strong start against rival Van-Far after creating turnovers with their press to take a 24-5 first quarter lead.
Younger Lady Trojans’ saw time in the final 24 minutes and helped the team pick up a 46-30 win. Jett scored 14 points, six steals, four rebounds, and one assist while Alissa Curtis had 13 points, five rebounds, four steals, two blocks, and one assist. Brooks added 10 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals; Hoyt added five points, four steals, and one assist; Jackson had four points, two rebounds, one steal, and one assist; Hagan had two rebounds; Lexus LaGesse, Bethany Schmidt, and Delanie Windmann each had one rebound; Cope had one assist; and Mikyla Wagner had one assist and one steal.